Interacting with the public increases your chances of getting the flu but does not make it inevitable. Prepare your business for flu season by educating yourself and your employees about the flu and taking simple precautions. Planning ahead will by minimize staff shortages and their impact on business continuity as well as project an image of efficiency to your customers.
When preparing for the flu, consider the following:
- A pandemic plan
- Hand hygiene
- Environmental cleaning
- When to wear a mask
Pandemic planning
Planning for a pandemic is essential. A pandemic may seriously affect your business and workers’ health. Being informed and knowing what to do during a flu pandemic will help minimize its impact on your business continuity. Review your plan on an annual basis and make certain it is up to date. Incorporate new developments from previous flu seasons and revise your plan accordingly.
For information on how to develop a pandemic flu plan, please click on the links in the web resources section of this page.
Hand hygiene
It is recommended that businesses provide adequate hand washing supplies in the washrooms, kitchens and other sink areas in their facilities. Businesses may also consider providing additional hand hygiene stations in highly visible locations, particularly where people congregate such as entrances and water coolers.
Environmental Cleaning
Influenza viruses can survive on some surfaces from a period of several hours to days, but are rapidly destroyed by cleaning. Cleaning of high-touch objects and surfaces will help to prevent the transmission of the influenza virus from person to person through contaminated hands. It is recommended that businesses and community organizations increase the frequency of cleaning of high touch surfaces to at least twice daily and ensure that adequate hand hygiene supplies are available at all times.
High touch objects and surfaces include:
- Doorknobs
- Hand rails
- Faucet handles
- Work surfaces
- Computer keyboards
- Telephones
No special disinfectants or waste handling practices are required for influenza; regular household or commercially available cleaning products are sufficient for this purpose and waste handling according to usual standards will suffice. Dishes, clothing, and sheets used by an individual with ILI can be washed using ordinary detergent and water.
When to wear a mask
The Public Health Agency of Canada does not recommend that healthy people wear masks as they go about their daily lives in the community. There is no evidence to suggest that wearing masks will prevent the spread of infection in the general population and improper use of masks may in fact increase the risk of infection as removing the mask incorrectly can spread the virus to one’s hands and face.
Additional information regarding mask use in the community and home settings can be found at: Public Health Agency of Canada Recommendations on Use of Masks in Public Settings to Prevent Transmission of the H1N1 Flu Virus |